Typical applications for portable collapsing building systems such as, berthing areas, kitchens, medical, communications, or storage facilities are all highly dependant on interior components such as shelves, counters, tables, workbenches, bunks and benches etc. in order to allow an efficient use of available interior space. The importance of interior furnishings or more generally of a functional interior layout are often overlooked or compromised in the design of portable collapsible buildings. While there are a great many designs in existence which address the objectives of collapsibility and ease of transport quite well, particularly fabric covered structures, most of these are simply covering systems which make no provision for and must be treated entirely independently of interior furnishings.
If a large number of interior furnishings are required for a desired application and these furnishings must be both transported and also structurally supported independently of the building structure then their weight and bulk will offset much of the advantage of using a lightweight easily transported building structure.
The prior art which demonstrates furnishings that are in some way supported by the framework of the structure or which are integral to the structure typically requires that the furnishing components remain in a fixed location within the building allowing the user very little flexibility in customizing the interior for their own unique needs. It is doubtful that any one fixed interior layout can provide the maximum effective use of interior space for more than one specific type of application. Allowing the user as much flexibility as possible in arranging the layout of interior furnishings provides the greatest potential of maximizing the effective use of interior space for the broadest range of applications.
Additionally the designs with the highest strength to weight ratios such as dome shaped structures, Quonset shaped structures or all structures with inwardly sloping sides often sacrifice usable wall space, standing room or effective storage or work space near the perimeter of the building thereby forcing an awkward use of general interior space. While many of these structures are lightweight, easily transported, easily erected, and also have the strength to withstand use in harsh environments, a simple square foot measurement of floor area is not an accurate measure of the functional space they provide.
Structures which do provide full vertical clearance at their interior perimeter or which do have flat vertical walls suitable for supporting shelves or for partially supporting other interior components are typically either heavier and bulkier to transport such as rigid wall collapsing panel structures or they are very lightly framed such as wall tents or vertically sided pipe framed fabric structures which do not have the strength to withstand use in harsh environments with heavy wind and snow loads.
Still furthermore, very few designs allow for the easy and fast customization of the type and depth of insulation used for each application every time the structure is erected or while the structure is in use.
Other problems typically observed in the prior art include designs which;
(a) are difficult to assemble;
(b) require special tools or equipment to assemble;
(c) involve a large number of parts or involve complex parts making the structure difficult to manufacture, more vulnerable to failure and more difficult to repair in the field.
Among the patented prior art devices of which the applicant is aware are the following U.S. patents:
U.S. Pat. Nos. 34,258; 128,542; 627,100; 838,689; 882,875; 925,059; 1,178,734; 1,291,758; 1,295,713; 1,494,050; 1,730,267; 1,825,183; 1,892,378; 1,926,159; 2,227,020; 2,363,917; 2,523,195; 2,640,999; 3,474,802; 3,536,083; 3,566,554; 3,828,492; 3,945,157; 4,186,666; 4,194,328; 4,270,816; 4,569,163; 4,802,500; 4,894,962; 4,907,383;
None of the cited prior patents is pertinent in terms of its structure or construction principles to the invention herein other than for isolated features.